Posted on 01/19/2006 1:21:03 PM PST by seamus
Edited on 01/19/2006 3:43:25 PM PST by Admin Moderator. [history]
Deseret Morning News, Thursday, January 19, 2006
Redford says sacrifices for film fest 'worth it'
He's pleased with emphasis this year on documentaries
By Jeff Vice
Deseret Morning News
Robert Redford says he has made plenty of sacrifices — including occasionally stalling his film career — to ensure that the Sundance Film Festival would survive and thrive. But, he adds, "it was all worth it."
 Robert Redford will appear at Park City premiere tonight.  Louis Lanzano, Associated Press |
"We've been able to accomplish what we set out to do in the beginning, which is provide an outlet to help independent artists make their films and have their works be seen by a wide audience," he said by phone from the Sundance resort in Provo Canyon while in the midst of preparing for the opening of the Sundance Film Festival 06.
Redford said he will be at the Eccles Theatre in Park City tonight to introduce the opening-night premiere film ""Friends With Money,"" a comedy-drama starring Jennifer Aniston, Catherine Keener, Frances McDormand and Joan Cusack.
And he says he's excited about this year's festival, especially with its added emphasis on documentary features. "I'm happy that we've been able to support the documentary arts for years and that that form of filmmaking has become every bit as strong as the others."
He is also enthused about the festival's world cinema and short-film categories, which he says audiences "tend to neglect, though they're certainly missing out if they do."
Redford served in an advisory capacity to the Utah/U.S. Film Festival in the late 1970s and early '80s, and then his Sundance Institute took over and "decided to put it in a ski resort in the middle of winter, to make it as hard to get to as possible," he said with a laugh. "The experiment worked. We're here today because we took that risk and many others.
"Our willingness to take chances on films and filmmakers speaks for itself. Sundance has been good for independent filmmaking."
Redford acknowledged that Utah has also taken chances with its support of the festival. "I think there were a few lifted eyebrows at first, but we've established a relationship based on mutual trust and respect." He also voiced his pleasure about an agreement the Sundance Institute signed last year that will keep the festival in Utah for at least the next 12 years.
Last month, Redford was honored by the Kennedy Center in Washington, D.C., for his contributions to the film industry in a ceremony that put him in company with other honorees — and with President Bush.
The outspoken liberal activist says he was skeptical at first. "To be honest, I had a few reservations about going to Washington, D.C., as you can probably understand. But it's hard to turn down the chance to be onstage with people like Tony Bennett, Tina Turner, Suzanne Farrell and the magnificent Julie Harris."
He was also able to tour the White House with his family. "I got to sit in Thomas Jefferson's seat. That, alone, made it worthwhile."
Meanwhile, Redford has been been reviving his sometimes-dormant film career. He's already provided one of the voices (of Ike the Horse) for a live-action (with computer-graphic enhancements) version of "Charlotte's Web," and he's scheduled to play legendary baseball manager/executive Branch Rickey in a film about Jackie Robinson. He's also planning to direct and star in "Aloft," a drama about the plight of the North American peregrine falcon, which could reunite Redford with his pal Paul Newman (they co-starred in "Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid" and "The Sting").
Asked about rumors that Matt Damon and Ben Affleck may be remaking "Butch Cassidy," Redford said he finds that "depressing."
"There is no shortage of good, original ideas, and there's just no point to remakes. Why do they have to mess with things that were perfect the first time around?" he said with a groan.
The 2006 Sundance Film Festival will run through Jan. 29 at various venues in Park City, Salt Lake City, Ogden and the Sundance resort. For ticket information, call 801-326-2000 or 435-940-8900 or go to www.sundance.org.
E-mail: jeff@desnews.com
© 2006 Deseret News Publishing Company
I try to avoid thinking about the political leanings of most actors and actresses, otherwise I'd take my DVD collection out and use them for skeet targets.
"There is no shortage of good, original ideas, and there's just no point to remakes. Why do they have to mess with things that were perfect the first time around?" he said with a groan..."
This kills me, LOL! The wizened old fart can't stand that two younger guys will remake his movie. I really would rather see Tom Green and Paulie Shore in the remake, with Pamela Anderson as the love interest. I have visions of her on a bicycle on a bumpy road.
I enjoyed both 'Quiz Show' and 'Ordinary People'. American's fortunately are free to choose what ever movie they wish to view. I don't question another person's character by judging the movies he or her decides to watch.
As for me, a person's political activism often influences whether or not I'll support that artist by way of watching their films, or listen to their music, or whatever commercial endeavor they may be involved with.
The only reason we had Humphrey Bogart inflicted on us in The Maltese Falcon was George Raft was able to turm the role down because he had a clause in his contract that said he didn't have do remakes of earlier movies.
Now THAT'S how you pitch a remake.
I like John Carpenters' remake of "The Thing".
Will the Katherine Ross role be played by Jennifer Lopez?
Silverback Mountain - King Kong makes off with Tom Cruise.
If they go through with it, Kenny Chesney can sing the remake of "Raindrops Keep Falling On My Head."
Butch Cassidy was a "perfect" movie? That thing was full of anachronisms. It was totally unbelievable. One example--one of the characters remarked that they had just "lucked out" when they had to jump off the cliff to elude the posse that was after them. I don't think that expression existed in the Old West. That film was a couple of movie idols playing themselves dressed in cowboy getups.
One of my favorite movies is Marathon Man. Dustin Hoffman is a fine actor, but Sir Laurence Olivier as the Nazi was incredible. Sir Anthony Hopkins is more like Olivier than any actor I know of... he really gets me and I wish he would do a worthy role other than the cannibal, but he is great in that role.
(Just to tweak the DU lurkers)
I agree with you. The original was made in wide screen format and there's no likely technical improvement that can be made. Absent a major technical improvement, like going to a wide screen aspect ratio, or doing Lord of the Rings with real actors in an astoundingly spectacular setting, the remakes usually end up being duds.
IMHO the worst of the remake duds was Ocean's Eleven. The coolest thing about the original, made with the whole Rat Pack at its zenith, was that it was a giant Mafia "in" joke. Each of the actors was mobbed up and they made the flick in Vegas when Vegas was the Mob's great cash cow. Nevertheless, for some strange reason, the Mob was never mentioned in the movie and the movie never alluded to what would have happened to Danny and his eleven buddies--an anonymous hole in the desert for each. The movie just wouldn't really worked without that extra bit of personal vigorish.
LOL!!!
In church last sunday our pastor mentioned that last August Jennifer Garner and Ben Alleck attended one of our church services last August. Apparently someone in the family was being baptised. I have seasons 1 and 2 of Alias tapes and I missed it. LOL!
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